Pacific Progressive

Renewed Threat of Medicare Pay Cuts Leaves Doctors With 'Sense of Fatigue'

By Jessica Marcy, Andrew Villegas and Christopher Weaver, KHN Staff Writers

This article was published by Kaiser Health News.

Doctors across the country find themselves – once again – putting their Medicare claims on hold while they wait for Congress to take action.  For the fourth time in six months, physicians are facing a 21 percent cut in their Medicare reimbursements.  This cut is an outgrowth of a law passed by Congress more than a decade ago to try to hold down Medicare costs under a formula called the sustainable growth rate.  Under this formula, pay cuts kick in when Medicare payments to physicians outpace certain economic targets.

Congress has deferred the pay cut every year, except one, since the cuts began in 2002.  And each time, the amount of the reduction has grown.

For physicians, this payment-cliff scenario is an increasing source of frustration. While lobbyists urge Congress to enact a permanent payment fix to provide stability to the system, doctors in individual practices regularly brace for the reimbursement roller coaster. Some are so discouraged that they no longer accept Medicare patients.

The Senate is currently considering a bill that contains the pay fix, as well as a number of other unrelated tax breaks and provisions for jobless Americans but many members are wary of the cost of the legislation. The bill, which has passed the House, would delay the cuts and in fact would give doctors a 2.2 percent increase starting June 1 and another 1 percent increase in 2011.

Kaiser Health News checked in with several physicians to find out their thoughts on the current situation and what impact it is having on their practices and patients.

Dr. Jen Brull

A family physician from Plainville, Kan., Brull sees 2,500 patients at her 9-year-old practice. About 22 percent of them have Medicare -- accounting for between 35-40 percent of her income.

In April, the last time the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services - the federal agency in charge of the program - held payments while Congress grappled with a short-term fix, Brull had to juggle a $10,000 temporary drop in revenue while claims were held up. Currently she gets about $75 to $80 per visit from Medicare, and if the 21 percent cut were instituted, she would stand to lose nearly $16  to $17 per Medicare patient visit. "I have a sense of fatigue with this whole issue," Brull said.

Mission Viejo to Host 1st Annual Wheelchair Tennis Classic July 3-4

Registration is available starting May 1 for the City of Mission Viejo's First Annual Wheelchair Tennis Classic July 3-4. 

Wheelchair players from across the state will participate in this spectacular tournament that will host an Open, A, B, C and Junior division for both singles and doubles, allowing a broad spectrum of players to participate. 

More than 60 players are expected to enter and compete at the Marguerite Tennis Center, 23840 Marguerite Parkway. The entry fee is $40 for both singles and doubles. Registration will be available at tennislink.usta.comfrom May 1 through June 26. 

For more information, contact Brian Gruner at 949-859-4348 ext. 5761 or e-mail.

Students and Teachers Back to Class in CUSD - Courageous Strike Won Tentative Agreement

Victorious in their struggle to achieve a negotiated settlement, Capistrano teachers and their students will return to their classrooms Tuesday, April 27, ending CUEA’s five-day strike, the first such action by teachers in southern California in almost ten years.

“It is the courage and determination of CUEA members on the picket lines and the thousands of supportive district parents and community members that resulted in the tentative contract agreement with the CUSD Board of Education,” said CUEA President Vicki Soderberg.

Brief details of the tentative agreement are as follows:

• Restoration of salary and furlough days as revenues increase
• Health benefit POS rates based on district 2010 level of contributions instead of imposed 2009 level
• Contract language that improves working conditions that contains more objective surplus transfer language and improvements in leaves
• A three-year agreement with bargaining reopened in the 2011-2012 school year.

 

“The CUEA bargaining team and leadership cannot find words adequate to express their appreciation for CUEA members’ solidarity and support during this difficult time,” said Soderberg. “It is without question that this victory could not have been achieved absent our unity and collective action. When we go back into the classroom together, we can hold our heads high.”

Members of the CUEA Executive Committee will meet at CUEA offices Tuesday afternoon to learn the tentative agreement’s details and to vote on recommending it to the CUEA’s Rep Council that will vote Wednesday on sending it to the CUEA general membership for a possible ratification vote. CUEA members will have the opportunity to participate in informational meetings at times yet to be determined prior to a ratification vote.

CUSD Board Continues to Force Strike to Gut School District

The CUSD Board, which is supported by the Education Alliance, wants to gut CUSD's teaching staff by making them take a permanent pay cut and a permanent cut in the number of work days.  The other districts in Orange County have given their teachers temporary paycuts and temporary reductions in workdays. This is what CUSD teachers want, but the CUSD Board, adhering to the Education Alliance goal of killing public education, wants to make the teachers take the permanent cuts.

This strike was entirely avoidable.  After 6 hours of negotiation, the CUSD Board declared an impasse. The Board also refused to meet with teachers to discuss closing the gap on the contract language. This strike was caused by the CUSD Board.

Here is a great video about the strike.

Ambiguous Offer to Negotiate Leading Towards a Strike in Capo Unified

“If you’re really serious about bargaining, you don’t start out by threatening legal action. Once again the Capistrano Board of Education is attempting to equivocate and obfuscate instead of negotiate,” said CUEA President Vicki Soderberg.

“Despite the board’s vague offer to commence negotiations ‘regarding various issues,’ they are flatly rejecting to bargain CUEA’s specific, unambiguous proposal. We clearly gave them a chance to avert a strike and their refusal leaves teachers no choice. CUEA members will walk the picket lines beginning Thursday, April 22. At the same time, our bargaining team will accept the board’s invitation to talk on Thursday. If we determine that they are serious about reaching a settlement, teachers and students can be back in the schools Friday. It’s up to the board to prove they’re serious about reaching a settlement.”

In a formal request delivered early Monday, April 19, giving the Capistrano board a 5:00 p.m., Tuesday, April 20 deadline to respond, CUEA asked the board to come back to the bargaining table to negotiate based on the following specific proposals:

1.    The board will reverse the permanent nature of salary and benefits cuts they imposed March 31 by making them temporary;

2.    There will be no increase in class size;

3.    The board will restore salary, unpaid work days, and benefits cuts if unforeseen funds are received;

4.    The board will implement already agreed to contract language that deals with working conditions, transfer of teachers, and leaves as stipulated to in the fact finding hearing.

“Where in the board’s response is the mention of making the permanent cuts temporary and of being willing to enter into the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) the board has informally offered in public throughout the last two weeks? Where is a clear, unambiguous offer to restore the cuts if unforeseen funds become available? The teachers’ proposal was explicit. Given the board’s history of duplicitous behavior, they have to make unequivocally clear that they want to reach a settlement. Teachers are far beyond ‘sham bargaining’ cloaked in vague, confusing, and ambiguous promises,” said Soderberg.

“The board’s rejection of our clear proposal and their continued ambiguity has put us where we never wanted to be. It is unfortunate that the board wants chaos instead of clear communication. It has never been the teachers’ goal to strike, but if it takes walking the picket line to bring the board to a place of clarity and mutual respect, then teachers have no choice. We must stand firm for our profession, for our students, and for the long-term stability of the district.”

Call Vector Control and Tell Them No Private Pest Control Companies

 The Orange County Vector Control District (OCVCD) helps to control little critters who carry diseases.  (These animals are called "disease vectors" because they move the disease around, hence the name.)  If you have a problem with a dead bird and there is West Nile Virus in the area, you call Vector Control.  Same thing for a neighbor who won't take care of their pool which is now a mosquito farm - call Vector Control and they will work with the neighbor so you don't have to.

A plan is being considered to privatize rat control services. Currently, if you see rats around, Vector Control will come out and give you (for free!) traps and bait and show you how to properly use them. They will also help you find the openings the rodents are using to get into your house and show you how to close them off.

These services are paid by an assessment of about $6.98 per year per residence in the County.  Taxpayers are able to get a lot for their $6.98.

Now, some members of the Vector Control board want to let private extermination companies (Terminix, Orkin, Truly Nolen are some common names) provide the rat control services. The plan is to send the companies out on calls to homes to provide the rat control services to the home owners.  Then, the pest control company can then sell the homeowner services to control pests on the inside of the home.

Smell a rat?  Does turning Vector Control into a marketing company for private pest control companies sound like a bad deal to you?  Call and write your representative on the Vector Control District. Each of the 34 incorporated cities has a representative. If you live in the unincorporated areas, your rep is Supervisor John Moorlach.

The representatives for each area are listed.  If you have a relationship with them, please use that to tell them "No to Private Pest Control Companies."  You can also call, fax and write them at the Vector Control Board.  Sending faxes works very well because it creates a paper trail of who objects and carries more weight than an email.

Orange County Vector Control District (OCVCD), 13001 Garden Grove Blvd, Garden Grove, CA 92843

Phone 714-971-2421 949-654-2421  Fax 714-971-3940

Aliso Viejo - Mayor Phillip B. Tsunoda 

Mission Viejo Wins Award for Incorporating Child Care in City Plan

Mission Viejo will receive an "Excellence in Child Care Planning Award" for its outstanding efforts to support and develop child care facilities in Mission Viejo.

The distinguished award is significant for the City, which is one of only a select few municipalities receiving the award for policies adopted making it more favorable to develop additional child care facilities within their jurisdictions.

The City adopted its 2008-2014 Housing Element, which included policies to support child care facilities and linkages with affordable housing. The policy supports the expansion of child care, promotes local economic development and enhances the quality of life for residents throughout the City.

Child Care Connections, led by the Children and Families Commission of Orange County, is a public -private partnership working together to ensure the availability of affordable, quality child care for families in Orange County.

The City will be recognized by the Orange County Child Care & Development Planning Council on March 25 in Irvine.

Mission Viejo Waste Hauling Contract Open for Bid

Mission Viejo is putting their waste contract out for bid. The current contract with Waste Management expires on December 31, 2010.  Companies which have submitted bids include Waste Management of Orange County, Ware Disposal, CR&R and Athens Services.  Sloan Vazquez has been hired by Mission Viejo to oversee the process.

Early Mission Viejo Model Home Brochures Available to View Online

Digitized images of several model home brochures from the early days of Mission Viejo are available from the Mission Viejo Librarys local history webpage at http://www.cmvl.org/history/index.html.

From the El Dorado and La Paz homes of the 1960s and 1970s through some of the Stoneridge homes of the 1990s, 40 different housing tracts are represented. Most of the digitized brochures include model home floor plans and exterior views. Many include original price lists. Along with the brochures, the digitized collection also includes photos of many of the model interiors and exteriors.

Model home brochures were collected by the Mission Viejo Heritage Committee and digitized by library staff through a California State Library grant.

Call the Mission Viejo Library reference desk at 949-830-7100, x5105 for more information about Mission Viejos local history digitized collection.

Mission Viejo Animal Services Center Recycled Water Conversion Will Save Millions of Gallons of Drinking Water Annually

Landscaped areas at the Mission Viejo Animal Services Center are now being irrigated with recycled water, as part of a continuing City effort to conserve precious drinking water and save natural resources and money.

Converting the area off Hillcrest Drive to recycled water will save more than 10 million gallons of drinking water per year. 

The joint venture between the Moulton Niguel Water District, Santa Margarita Water District and the City of Mission Viejo began last spring. Due to the location and proximity of the recycled water lines to the Mission Viejo Animal Services Center, the water districts had to enter into a water swap agreement that allowed new water services to be installed by Santa Margarita Water District on Moulton Niguel recycled water lines. 

With the agreement completed in December, the plumbing conversion began and finishing touches were completed late last month.

Mission Viejo Arts Alive Festival - April 24-25

Arts Alive the City's annual intergenerational Arts Festival returns to Mission Viejo on April 24-25.

The free weekend festival will meld expression, education and the environment into an interactive community event.

The fun takes place at the Oso Viejo Community Park on the Village Green, 24932 Veterans Way. Visitors will enjoy a wide array of cultural, artistic and environmental activities including the 12th Annual Fun with Chalk street painting exhibit; Green Expo; Rachel's Challenge and Links of Character; Artes de la Vida; and the Oso Creek Sense of Place Trail Flag Project.

The festival is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Free shuttle service is available from the Newhart Middle School parking lot and the Mission Viejo Civic Center from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Visit the Arts Alive Web site at www.cityofmissionviejo.org/artsalivefestival for more information on how to volunteer or become a vendor.

Mission Viejo Reminds Residents About OCTA Service Cuts Starting March 14

During the recent round of OCTA service cuts, Mission Viejo fought hard to keep service thru the city.  Many students use OCTA to get to school or college.  Those who don't drive, including the elderly and disabled, rely on the bus as a lifeline to get to work, school, and their social life.  

In Mission Viejo, bus riders should be aware of a frequency reduction on routes 82 (weekday) and 89 (weekend) and the elimination of routes 82 and 85 on Sunday and the Saturday 86 route. 

OCTA has developed tools to help bus riders navigate the changes in service throughout the county. To see the cities affected, visit http://www.octa.net/CITY_mar10.aspx. 

Route-specific details including frequency reductions is available at http://www.octa.net/march2010impacts.aspx.

Linda Vista Elementary E-Waste Fundraiser - Feb 27

The public on Saturday, Feb. 27 will have the opportunity to recycle old computer monitors, televisions, telephones and more in a free electronic waste.

Linda Vista Elementary School is teaming up with the City to host the E-waste fundraiser from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 25222 Pericia Drive.

Community members can take advantage of the drive-thru drop off to recycle items such as laptops; monitors; keyboards; copiers; VCRs; fax machines; cell phones; printers; scanners; and more. Kitchen appliances such as blenders, toaster ovens and coffee makers along with hair dryers, irons, curling irons, vacuums and smoke detectors will NOT be accepted.

The fundraiser will benefit the school's PTA and its programs.

Oso Creek Restoration Underway with Stimulus Money

The first phase of the roughly $1 million Oso Creek Restoration and Protection Project is underway. Mission Viejo obtained $1,045,000 in federal funding for the project through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. 



The initial phase entails installing new satellite-based irrigation controllers that will reduce runoff in the Jeronimo Open Space. The controllers automatically adjust irrigation rates based on the weather and allow City staff to control the irrigation system remotely.



The project is administered by the State Water Resources Control Board. A required sign notifying the public of the project will be installed next week on the south side of Jeronimo Road, between Silleros and Olympiad Road.

For more information about the project, call 949-470-8419.
 

Imported Water Supply Shutdown - Jan 25-31

San Juan Capistrano is urging residents and businesses to conserve water by ceasing landscape watering and car washing while its imported water supplier shuts down its plant for a week this month.  The shutdown also impacts other cities in south Orange County.

The Diemer Filtration Plant, the Yorba Linda-based water treatment plant that serves South County, is expected to perform necessary maintenance and upgrades from Jan. 25 through Jan. 31. The facility, owned and operated by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD), provides much of all of South County's potable water needs through two regional water pipelines.

The City's groundwater recovery plant, which began operation in December 2004, will help offset impacts of the waterline shutdown that will leave much of south Orange County with little or no imported water. However, the shutdown affects the City's major supply line for all potable (drinkable) water entering the City, and San Juan Capistrano needs to conserve in order to maintain supplies in its reservoirs for drinking, sanitary uses and firefighting.